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News/ Rebuilding Britain: Labour will create a One Nation education system

Posted by Lucy Powell27pc on October 12, 2012

Rebuilding Britain: Labour will create a One Nation education system

Shadow Secretary for Education Stephen Twigg explained how Labour will create a One Nation education system when he joined Labour's parliamentary candidate Lucy Powell in Manchester Central on Thursday (October 11).

Stephen visited Moss Side's Manchester Academy. Met by Dr Antony Edkins, the school's Executive Principle, he took a tour of the school and spoke to students.

Labour’s One Nation education system includes a New Deal for Teachers that includes developing ideas to bring more top graduates into teaching.

Labour wants to double the number of Teach First recruits from 1,000 a year to 2,000 and then encourage further expansion, so it becomes one of the main routes into teaching.

Teach First works with a variety of schools up and down the country including the Manchester Academy.

Labour wants to ensure all teachers are appropriately rewarded, and the Party's education team are looking at plans to incentivise teaching in schools in a poorer communities through for example a reduction in tuition fees.

Stephen Twigg MP, Labour's Shadow Secretary for Education, said:

“Labour will build a One Nation Education system by raising standards for all. Instead of decisions made in Whitehall, we will restore a partnership between local and central government and end the practice that stops good local authorities setting up new schools.

“Whatever the type of school, whether academies, co-op schools or community schools, we will put local communities and parents back in the driving seat. But the key to One Nation Education is not the type of school but what happens in the classroom. Our education system is only as good as its staff.

“Michael Gove insults teachers - calls them ‘whingers’ - and on his watch 10,000 have left the profession. We should celebrate the school workforce - not just teachers and heads, but the caretakers, the teaching assistants, the dinner ladies. They are heroes.”

And responding to news that schools will proceed with legal action on this summer's GCSE English and that 45,000 pupils will retake GCSE English, he added:

“Had Michael Gove taken decisive action, we wouldn't be in this mess. Instead, he chose not to act in the interest of fairness. It shows just how out of touch he is.

“Thousands of young people have already missed out on their college place, sixth form option or apprenticeship as a result of the Tory-led Government refusing to take responsibility.”

The Manchester Academy:

The Ducie High School was one of the worst performing schools in the country; when it first became an academy only eight per cent of pupils got five good GCSEs.

Since then improvement in attainment at the Manchester Academy has been dramatic.

There’s been an eight fold increase in students achieving five GCSE grades A-C, including Maths and English, from six per cent in 2004 to 48 per cent in 2012.